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Van Buren boys soccer team wins Class 5A championship after a game winning goal from Kylan Almond Buck Ringgold Fort Smith Times Record BENTON — A few minutes after the Van Buren's boys soccer team allowed its first postseason goal, the Pointers responded. With 17:41 remaining, junior striker Kylan Almond received a pass near the net from teammate Pedro Rodriguez and knocked it through, breaking a 1-all score. The Pointers then made that lead stand as they won the Class 5A state championship with a 2-1 win against Russellville on Saturday afternoon at the Benton Athletic Complex. "He's a good player and he has to put up with so much because I'm normally harder with him than any of the rest of them," said Van Buren coach Nathan Almond, Kylan's father. "He works hard all the time athletically and academically, and he deserves it." Van Buren's Kylan Almond celebrates what would be the game-winning goal on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at the Class 5A State soccer championship held at Everett Field hosted by Benton High School. Van Buren defeated Russellville 2-1. The Pointers won their second state soccer title, both under Nathan Almond, the last coming in 2006. They also avenged two regular-season defeats to the Cyclones. "Breaking down that film, we made some mistakes, especially at our place, that were uncharacteristic for us on the back line and they punished us," Almond said. "I really felt like if we could clean that up, we had a real good chance to win this game." It was also the second state title in three days won by a Van Buren team, with the Pointer baseball team winning the 5A on Thursday. Kylan Almond's go-ahead goal came nearly five minutes after the Cyclones tied the score at 1-all. Rodriguez, a junior, got a free kick near the corner and shook off a defender before finding Almond. "He got to the baseline, and our coach had been telling us all season to get to the baseline and send the ball back to the penalty spot so we can get a goal," Almond said. "So I moved to the penalty spot and sure enough, the ball came to me, I saw the defender in front of me, I took a touch and I took a shot and just prayed it went in, and it did." Rodriguez, a junior, remarked he had no doubt Almond was going to score. "I knew he was going to make it; he had been scoring during the tournament and he's been playing excellent. ... It was just a wonderful feeling," Rodriguez said. Rodriguez, named the game's MVP, scored Van Buren's first goal just 3:17 into the game off a cross from junior Moi Torres. Van Buren's Pedro Rodriguez (right) celebrates with his friends and family after the game on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at the Class 5A State soccer championship held at Everett Field hosted by Benton High School. Van Buren defeated Russellville 2-1. Rodriguez was also recognized as the tournament's MVP. Pointer senior goalkeeper Chris Mendoza then preserved the win with four minutes left, deflecting an 18-yard free kick that was taken by Russellville goalkeeper Noe Jimenez, set up when Mendoza was called for leaving the box early. "I was pretty mad at myself for causing that mistake, it could have changed the whole game right there in the last four minutes," Mendoza said. "But when I saw the goalkeeper come up, it just made me a little more angry and I didn't want to get scored on by another goalkeeper.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Van Buren High School Athletics

2021 POINTER SOCCER 5A STATE CHAMPIONS!

BUCK RINGGOLD

SW Times | 5/24/2021

PHOTO CREDIT: Pointer Media